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Published on March 15, 2008

He said that his suspension was to show transparency in the fight to clear his name.

Now, should the three ministers whom the AEC accused of illegally introducing the two- and three-digit lottery follow suit? Let's look at the matter based on two criteria. First, can the accused influence the investigation if he or she is still in office? For example, does the lottery come under the direct or indirect influence of Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee? It would appear not. Second, as with Apirak, the AEC has found grounds for graft investigations involving the three ministers. Should we expect our leaders to be role models of honesty? They swore before His Majesty the King, the Emerald Buddha, etc to serve honestly; should we expect them to keep their word - or is it okay for them to be corrupt, so long as they have some results to show? I suggest that it is our acceptance of corruption at every level - especially the top - that has resulted in our being the second most corrupt economy in Asia (source: Political and Economic Risk Consultancy survey of businesspeople across the region released on Monday).

I suggest the answer to my questions is: "Definitely, yes - for if not, are accountability and honour only for fools?" Thus, the ministers should follow Apirak's example. True, the governor may be playing a political game, for Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej signed the fire-truck contract that started the whole scandal when he, Samak, was Bangkok governor. But if that's Apirak's game, it's a valid one - a demand that the rule of law apply to the prime minister as well as the governor.

Stand aside, ministers. Your farewell speeches could follow that of Eliot Spitzer, who has just resigned as the governor of New York over a sex scandal that most Thais would take as very minor. He said: "Over the course of my public life, I have insisted - I believe correctly - that people regardless of their position or power take responsibility for their conduct. I can and will ask no less of myself. For this reason, I am resigning from the office of governor."

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok

Democrat shadow minister misquoted in CL story

Re: "Democrats demand new drug approach", News, March 13.

In this story, I was wrongly quoted as saying, "The government should concentrate on imposing the effective act to help patients rather than focus only on CL [compulsory-licensing] enforcement, which has given the country a bad name".

In fact, I said during the interview that, "Every nation is entitled to the right to invoke compulsory-licensing only when necessary, such as CL for [drugs that treat] HIV-Aids or some cancers. But CL invoked by the Public Health Ministry alone may not be enough. I think that the Commerce Ministry should use trade competition policy to supplement the efforts. If it views that any pharmaceutical company has dominant power over the market and has monopolised the market, it can enforce the law. But the law enforcers have to be objective without any influence".

I added that the government may also use the international state-purchasing forum with other countries in Asean to increase its bargaining power with pharmaceutical companies or support the effort to enable Thais to produce pharmaceutical products.

Buranat Samuttaraka

Democrat Party shadow public health minister

Bangkok